Massimo Enzo, Marketing Director Vegetables EAME - Syngenta Seeds

Massimo is a qualified agronomist with over 20 years’ experience in the fresh vegetable and seeds business. He has worked as a consultant, offering advice on subjects ranging from cultivation, integrated pest management and marketing, to branding fresh produce.

In 1998, Massimo joined Syngenta. Since 2005, he has held the position of Marketing Director for Vegetables in the EAME region, co-ordinating a team responsible for the development and implementation of crop strategies, and the introduction of innovative solutions in the market, including a consumer driven downstream approach.

Interview with Mr. Massimo Enzo: “Retailers will have an important influence on future trends” . Click here

Onno Franse, Programme Director Healthy Living - Royal Ahold

Onno has some 25 years’ experience in the international food business. His career has focused on the areas of new business development and new trends – notably the latest trends in food safety, pleasure, convenience, globalisation, corporate brands and health. He joined Ahold as Corporate Brands Programme Director and in 2004 he established the global Healthy Living Programme and team.

Anneke Ammerlaan, food watcher and advisor

Anneke Ammerlaan is a food watcher, specialising in trends and all things related with taste. She advises supermarkets, food manufacturers and hotel chains, and is often invited to give talks on her specialist subjects.

Anneke has wide experience in the media and is an active member of the IACP (the International Association of Culinary Professionals), the International Trend Forum and the panel of International Food Futurists, for which she regularly lectures on trends. She is also a member of the panel which advises the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture on a number of consumer issues and a member of “The Week of Taste” advisory board.

Interview with Mrs. Anneke Ammerlaan: “The first impression of taste is visual”. Click here

Elena Ozeritskaya, Consumer Offer Manager Vegetables EAME – Syngenta Seeds

Elena Ozeritskaya’s background is in marketing and communication, and she has a special interest in consumer research, creativity and innovation. Before joining Syngenta, she worked for a large multinational in the area of consumer research.

At Syngenta she works as the Consumer Offer Manager for Vegetables in the EAME region and she is involved in a number of activities ranging from “the creation of new ideas to product launches”.

Interview with Mrs. Elena Ozeritskaya: “Consumers want tomatoes that are more tasty and more convenient”. Click here

Don Mottram, Professor of Food Chemistry - University of Reading

Don Mottram studied chemistry at the University of Leeds. His early research career was spent as a research scientist at the Meat Research Institute, Bristol, where he became head of the Flavour and Analytical Section. In 1988 he moved to the University of Reading, where he now has a Personal Chair in Food Chemistry.

His research interests include the chemistry and biochemistry of flavour formation in foods, the role of the Maillard reaction in the thermal generation of aroma, and the interactions of flavour compounds with structural food components. His work on flavour in fruit includes aroma generation during the ripening of melons and the taste attributes of tomatoes.

Ian Puddephat, Head of Produce Quality - Syngenta Seeds

Ian Puddephat is a plant scientist with experience in physiology, genetics and biotechnology. He was awarded a PhD in Horticulture by the University of Nottingham in 1991. In 2002, he joined Syngenta as Team leader in Cell Biology, and he is now Research project manager for fruit quality and Global head of produce quality activities.

His current focus is on the identification of key metabolites driving taste perception; determination of key genetic controls for major taste & nutritional attributes; and defining relationships between metabolite profiles, sensory analysis and consumer perception/drivers.

Taizo Sano, Managing Director of Kagome’s fresh tomato business unit Kagome Co. Ltd. - Japan

Taizo Sano is a specialist in Agricultural Science. He gained 9 years of industry experience in a subsidiary of Kagome Co. Ltd. in the US, and since 2001 he has worked as Managing Director of Kagome’s Fresh Tomato Business Unit in Japan. He is also a board member of Kagome.

Kagome is a company with a history rich in innovation: it has been a pioneer in tomato cultivation and bioengineering in Japan, and it is now the largest tomato processor in Japan and the Pacific Rim, with a history that spans more than 100 years. The company controls the majority of the market share in ketchup, tomato juice, vegetable juice, carrot juice and Worcestershire sauce for both the retail and the foodservice market in Japan.

Interview with Mr. Taizo Sano: "Japanese take about 50% of world average per capita consumption both fresh and processed tomatoes". Click here

Charles Baxter, Produce Quality Specialist – Syngenta Seeds

Charlie has a background in plant biochemistry research, having started out in the agricultural industry. After studying Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield, he took a PhD programme based jointly at IGER, Aberystwyth and the University of Sheffield. He then took up a post doctoral position at the University of Oxford, where he worked on tomatoes, amongst other crops.

Charlie joined Syngenta in 2006, and he is now part of the Global Produce Quality team, with responsibility for running projects related to output traits in Vegetables. He is currently involved in the application of consumer expectations about tomatoes to Syngenta breeding programmes.

Mart van Grinsven, Head of Global Development for Vegetables – Syngenta Seeds

Intrigued by the ability of one single cell to develop into a complete organism, Mart commenced his studies in Biology and Chemistry at the University of Utrecht (NL) in 1977. During these studies he developed his passion for genetics, especially molecular genetics. He graduated cum laude in 1983 and accepted a PhD position at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam to study the regulation of gene expression in chloroplasts.

He has spent almost 21 years with what is now known as Syngenta, in which time he has held a number of different positions in research and development, both in biotechnology and breeding management. Mart is currently responsible for global research and development in the vegetable division of Syngenta.

Interview with Dr. Mart van Grinsven: “Science is key to the creation of new varieties”. Click here

Angélique Schmeinck, master chef

One of only two female master chefs in the Netherlands, Angélique Schmeinck has been cooking at the highest level for years. However, she is also well-known for the surprising dishes that she cooks on television. "Swinging in the Kitchen" is the most recent of her four books, among which "A Mouthful of Art" has been called the most innovative cookbook in the world.

Angélique presents Tasting Intermezzos, Inspiration Workshops, Culinary Jam Sessions and other delicious productions with her own company. These include the spectacular Culi-Air®, in which she uses a hot air balloon as a convection oven to prepare a dinner where everything revolves around flavour and aroma.

Britt Burton-Freeman, PhD, MS - Director, Health Promoting Foods, Illinois Institute of Technology

Dr. Burton-Freeman’s research is focused on two main themes: 1) Appetite and obesity management; and 2) Vascular disease. His research emphasises the effects of bioactive food components on mechanistic and behavioural processes of food intake and body weight regulation. Properties of fibres, micro and macro-molecule interactions, and food matrix effects in the gut to alter metabolic and endocrine systems are a primary focus.

Effects of dietary constituents on vascular disease include evaluation of endothelium function, platelet activation, inflammatory and oxidative stress responses during acute and chronic interventions. The research approach includes human and basic science methodology.

Interview with Dr. Burton-Freeman: “Consumers are very interested in what their diet can do for them personally”. Click here

Ton Teerling, moderator, psychologist

During his academic career he has worked closely with Prof. Dr. Nico Frijda (The Psychology of Emotions) and Prof. Dr. Ep Köster (The Psychology of Taste and Smell). In his industrial career, Ton has 20 years of experience in the global food & beverage and supply industries, and he recently led the Sensory and Consumer Insights Division of IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances).

In 2005, he joined Kalypso, an international consultancy firm which has gained a solid reputation in New Product Development and which differentiates itself by its exclusive focus on the process of innovation from ideation to commercialisation.

Margaret Everitt, BSc, MIFST

Margaret has more than 27 years of practical and managerial experience in product development and quality assurance gained during her career in both food and non-food industries. She developed a particular interest in the application of consumer and sensory science in 1985, while she was studying for a BSc in Applied Consumer Sciences. After graduating, she went on to develop and manage sensory operations, market research, market intelligence and sensory training programmes for several companies.

In 2007, she started her own consultancy in consumer research and product guidance.
She is a regular speaker at national and international sensory science, product development and marketing conferences.

She is a member of the Institute of Food Science and Technology and is Past Chair of their Professional Food Sensory Group; she is also a member of the Market Research Society.
In October 1999, she was the first person to be awarded the SCI’s Certificate of Achievement for her significant work in the application of Consumer and Sensory Research.

Interview with Mrs. Margaret Everitt: “Tomato varieties that offer improved taste quality all year round would have a distinct advantage in the market”. Click here